Yuuri! With the Stars
by Watermelonsmellinfellon
Summary: An AU where Yuuri never got into ice skating professionally, but he's still just as good at it. As a rising star in Japan's fashion and dance scenes, he's invited to be on Skating With the Stars International. Yuuri is paired with Olympic gold medalist and World Champion figure skater, Viktor Nikiforov. His long time crush. So ensues the fluff and romance. A/N: A prompt from Tumblr
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, people!**

 **I don't own Yuri! On Ice.**

 **I have no beta.**

 **ENJOY!**

 **CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**

Based on a prompt by gravitygallifreyfalls on Tumblr.

 **-I tweaked some main points from the original prompt. Both Yuuri and Victor are 26 in this. The dogs are alive and happy. Both are kick ass and Gravity seemed okay with the deviance.**

 **-Watched some of SWTS to get a feel for it. Also checked out the Wikipedia page to learn more. Stuck loosely to the frame of the show. I also made it international because that seemed more interesting.**

* * *

"I'm going to be on Skating With the Stars International!" Victor gushed as he stepped foot on the rink that morning. Absolutely no one seemed to give a damn.

Judging by the evil look Yakov was sending him, he did not approve. So once person gave a damn, but the damn wasn't a good one. "You won't have enough time for this, Vitya!"

"Of course I will. Everything has already been decided and I will have time for the Rostelecom Cup and the Grand Prix Final. It's all in the schedules, don't worry, Yakov."

Victor was quick to wave away the man's worries and simply go about his business in practice for the day. He wanted to get in one last big practice before he was off to America. He was so excited!

"You better not slack off!" his old coach finally said, disgruntled but knowing he wasn't going to get through to his student. Victor was good at ignoring people.

Victor merely smiled at his long time coach.

* * *

"You've been invited to participate in Skating with the Stars International!" Yuuko crowed as she waved the magazine in Yuuri's face.

Twenty-six year old Katsuki Yuuri couldn't withhold a sigh. Yes, it was an amazing opportunity and yes he was incredibly honored, but he didn't think he was that important or that much of a celebrity.

"Yuuri, you should be proud of yourself! You were chosen out of everyone else in Japan! That's a big deal!"

"But I'm not that famous."

Her response was a scoff. "Yuuri, you're a fashion designer who has been gaining a good reputation for your all-inclusive sizing. You've been in a few music videos as a dancer, entered many dance competitions all around the world and won, as well as danced in several big name productions after graduating from Juilliard! You are the second person in Japan's history to win an award at the Prix Benois de la Danse, right behind your own ballet instructor! You're a big deal!"

He flushed. When she worded it like that it made him seem more important than he actually was. Yuuri was simply a dancer, with an interesting past, who was currently putting his all toward a cause that he felt was worthy.

He hadn't always been thin. Yuuri had struggled with weight and finding clothing that was the right fit. He was the type to be stuck in between sizes as a child, and betweens were the hardest to find. He ended up mending his own clothing, and learning how to sew had brought a new interest to his life.

He did ballet and ice skating. He live streamed video games to raise money for charities, and he worked hard on his clothing line.

Yuuri got a simple enjoyment over making other people happy. And to find young people so excited over finding a 'cool shirt' or a 'nice pair of pants' actually in their size that came in more than the three basic colors, always made him feel good. Because he had been the kid stuck with the three basic colors and he didn't want others to have to deal with that.

"I fully expect you to slay the competition, Yuuri!" Yuuko continued to say as she sat down on the bench beside him. "You are good enough to be a professional skater and while I know you decided that ballet took your heart more than skating did, I know you could compete internationally and prove to be hell for the other skaters. So you've got an Ace up your sleeve with this!"

He rolled his eyes as he stood. It was time for him to do some warm up laps around the rink.

"And Victor Nikiforov will be on this season! What if you get paired up?!"

Yuuri almost tripped on his way onto the ice. Victor would be there?!

Yuuko's smile was devilish. " _Yes_ , Yuuri! Your crush is going to be within the same breathing room as you. Try to get his number."

"I-I can't do that!"

"Sure you can! Simply wiggle your hips a bit and blow him a kiss and he'll come running!"

"I am not listening to you!" Yuuri insisted as he shoved his earbuds in, in hopes of drowning her out.

Yuuko's giggles could be heard even over the music blaring in his ear, however.

* * *

Victor turned when the doors to the rink opened, expecting to see a familiar face. Instead, he had no idea who he was partnered with. This was 'Skating With the Stars INT', right?

"Hi!" the other man waved as he pushed his hideous blue glasses up the bridge of his cute nose.

Victor was momentarily surprised that he'd been paired up with a man. Rarely were same sex pairings allowed in certain aspects of skating. Things seemed to be changing in the skating world. He found himself intrigued.

"You are Katsuki Yuuri, yes?" he asked, hoping he pronounced the other's name correctly. He hadn't been told much beyond the name of his partner and he had assumed they would be a woman because pairs usually consisted of the opposite sex.

A flush worked its way up the other's cheeks, making the blue of his glasses stand out more.

"Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you Nikiforov-san!" he said as he bowed low, hands folded across his legs as he did so.

"You can just call me, Victor, okay?"

The flush darkened and Victor found himself strangely charmed. Also, he wanted to see exactly how far down that flush went.

"Then please call me Yuuri," the other said, extending the 'U' a bit more than Victor had.

Victor found the name ironic. He escaped one Yuri and ran into another Yuuri. This one seemed infinitely nicer though, and more adorable in Victor's opinion. And he could already tell that they would get on better.

"Want to go for coffee?"

"I-I thought we were supposed to start practicing today?" Yuuri asked, voice cracking a bit as his hazel eyes widened.

"But how can we trust each other as partners if we don't know each other? Something interesting to do instead of just sitting here passing time awkwardly."

"Are you not worried about the competition? We only have a week to get this down if we want to do well."

"My coach Yakov coaches a few pair skaters and sometimes I like to watch. He always tells them that without trust, there's no point in them skating together. I'd prefer for us to have a pleasant relationship before we try anything strenuous."

Yuuri nodded in understanding. "Makes sense. Do you have somewhere in mind?"

"There's a Starbucks down the street."

They left, leaving the cameraman without interesting footage to capture for the day.

* * *

"What do you do for a living?" Victor had asked to start them off once they were bunched in a small booth in he back of the shop.

Yuuri's hands clutched his cup of hot chocolate close. "I'm a fashion designer currently. Formerly I was a world class danseur."

Victor's blue eyes widened considerably. "So you have experience in competitions and such?"

"Yes. A lot actually."

"And you still dance in your spare time?"

"Yes!" Yuuri sputtered. "Minako-sensei would kill me if I stopped! She's been my instructor for twenty-two years! And she's still dancing despite no longer doing it competitively. I would be a shame of a pupil if I stopped now."

Victor smiled. "Then I think this will be an interesting few weeks, Yuuri."

"What about you?"

"Hm?"

"I know all about your career. I follow skating religiously with my friend Yuuko. So there isn't much I don't know. But what do you do in your spare time? You don't often talk about private life."

Victor blinked for a second, before pulling out his mobile and showing Yuuri a photo of his brown poodle, Makkachin.

"I spend time with Makka, of course! I do everything with him."

"Did you bring him with you to America?"

"Yes. I couldn't bear leaving Makka in Russia without me! Not for seven weeks!"

Yuuri sighed, feeling relieved as he retrieved his own mobile to show Victor a photo of his own poodle. He was with a fellow pet lover, so it wasn't strange that they traveled with their dogs.

"This is my Victor," he explained, showing the man he most admired, his forever friend. "I got him about a month after you got Makkachin and I named him after you."

Slowly, Victor's face was filled with red and he looked up at Yuuri through his lashes, as if he'd done something amazing.

"You named your puppy after me?"

"Yeah. You're an inspiration and I've been a fan for a long time."

"That's… the nicest thing anyone has ever done in my name." Victor looked down at his latte. "Thank you."

Though he was confused, Yuuri nodded.

Never had he thought he would get to see Victor Nikiforov getting emotional over something as simple a dog being named for him, but he couldn't say he minded.

It was cute in a way.

* * *

When they got to the rink the next morning, Victor had fully expected to have to coach Yuuri through the beginners level of skating. He had even prepared a list of notes to check over every now and then to make sure that the other was following along and that he was comfortable.

Instead, Yuuri plopped down on an available bench and pulled a pair of pitch black skates with black blades, out of his bag. He then proceeded to put them on and lace them up without issue, ignoring the camera man in the far corner of the rink.

"My friend Yuuko's family runs an ice rink," Yuuri told him with a smile. "We've been skating together since I was seven. She's the one who introduced me to your existence."

Yuuri removed his glasses and placed them on the bench. He then ran his hands through his hair, pushing it back and freeing his face from any distraction. He was unexpectedly sexy like that. Cute with glasses and sexy without.

And then Yuuri took to the ice and glided like there was nothing holding him back.

Victor's partner already knew how to skate. He was good at it. Good enough to do a Triple Axel after a few minutes of warming up.

"You don't compete?" Victor asked as he skated to Yuuri's side, curious beyond belief.

"Never wanted to. I was already doing dance and I couldn't find it in my heart to care more about skating. I didn't have any skating geniuses to spend time with in person, but Minako-sensei was always around. She's like an aunt I never had. She was so amazing and I wanted to be like her, so ballet took over my life."

Yuuri spun in place so that he and Victor could face one another as they skated calmly around the rink, keeping equal distance between them.

"So are we going to start choreographing this or what?" Yuuri asked, sending a smirk in Victor's direction.

Victor might have fallen in love. Katsuki Yuuri was the most perfect being on the planet.

* * *

Their costumes were matching. The same style and everything, except Victor was resplendent in fuchsia and Yuuri's pale skin made his dark blue suit look amazing. Both had originally wanted the same color, but Yuuri's skin tone clashed with the fuchsia of Victor's outfit, so the designers had to improvise.

Still, they looked good. And Yuuri was infinitely grateful that the accents on their clothing were different colors. Victor liked gold, but Yuuri liked silver.

"You know, a lot of people are going to be angry when they realize just how good we are."

Victor smirked. "I know. However, the fact that they didn't know you were already a figure skater in your free time is not your fault."

"Our training videos are going to be so lacking in falls and trips."

"I know! It's great!"

Yuuri held his hand out, a challenge in his eyes. "Let's win this!"

Victor's answering grin was just as wide. "Yes!"

* * *

 **{Welcome back to Skating With the Stars! Tonight's final performance has been a long awaited one. Taking to the ice is Japan's second recipient of the Benois de la Danse, and current fashion icon, Katsuki Yuuri. His partner is 4 time World and 3 time Olympic figure skating Champion, Victor Nikiforov. But first, let's take a look at their past week!}**

Yuuri and Victor both stood by the side of the rink as the video played for the audience and judges to see.

Their initial meeting was shown. The audience got a kick out of Yuuri's flustered state. And when the two disappeared from the rink with the intent to go for coffee instead of skating, many people sent them confused looks. Their fellow competitors included.

But then the next day came, and the cameraman had gotten Yuuri's admission to skating since he was a child. And then Yuuri's Triple Axel, and his Quad Toe Loop not longer after.

And to make it even better, was that during practice, they didn't have any problems beyond Victor not having enough upper body strength to lift Yuuri, demonstrated by him attempting to do so off the ice and nearly toppling both of them over.

Yuuri ended up taking over the lifts, which got a laugh out of the audience because Yuuri was smaller than Victor, so him being able to lift Victor was unexpected.

Yuuri was skilled in more than just ballet though. He didn't get the Benois de la Danse for being boring after all. Minako always supported expanding knowledge on anything, so Yuuri trained various dance styles, not just ballet.

Pole Dancing was a vigorous work out, but those lessons paid off as he hefted a one hundred and sixty pound man several feet off the ice while moving.

Furthermore, both Yuuri and Victor were good at spins and steps. And getting comfortable to spin together for the first week of competition wasn't all that hard.

Once the video ended and Yuuri got a good look at how the competition received the information, he knew he was ready.

They would slay everyone. Just like Yuuko claimed they would.

* * *

" _Yuuri, you and Victor did so well! I'm so happy! You have no idea how amazing it is that you get to spend time with Victor Nikiforov in person and skate with him. And eat with him! I'm so jealous and proud of you. Congratulations on your performance. You better win!_ "

Yuuko's voicemail continued on in the same vein for several minutes, and Yuuri couldn't help but smile. She was going to talk his ear off when he called her back later.

"So we're at the top in the first week with perfect scores," Victor began from his place on Yuuri's bed.

The man had invited himself over, but he'd brought Makkachin with him as well as food, so Yuuri didn't mind. Makkachin and Victor got along very well and were napping on the sofa the hotel room provided.

"And as I predicted, no one in the competition is happy about it," Yuuri concluded with a pleased grin

"I'm happy about it, so who cares if no one else is?"

Yuuri smiled. "You're a bit of a dick sometimes. Has anyone told you that?"

Victor's dropped jaw told him that indeed, no one hadn't.

"For my number one fan, you sure don't act like a number one fan!" Victor pouted.

Yuuri shrugged. "Sorry. I got my own fill of what fans are like and I resolved to never be overbearing as a fan myself. Besides, we all aren't as great as the fans build us up to be, so I know that you're more human than your reputation leads others to believe."

Victor's gaping continued on for the better part of the hour. Yuuri had taken to calling Yuuko though, so he simply ignored the other's childish antics.

* * *

"I want to make it more difficult this week."

It was their third week. As expected, they were still at the top with perfect scores. Victor had made it a habit to surprise Yuuri with his millions of ideas for their programs.

Victor loved to surprise people. It was what he built his entire career around after all. And somehow he still managed to surprise Yuuri, despite the fact that Yuuri spent most of his time with the other and had gotten used to his presence.

Except for those three days when Victor had to go to the Grand Prix Final, win, and then come right back. He'd been bogged down by jet lag for hours afterward and in the end, both only had three full days to practice. It had been up to Yuuri to choreograph this one, and he thanked every Kami he could think of that Victor was a genius and picked things up quickly.

When Yuuri choreographed, there were more steps and spins. When Victor choreographed there were more lifts and jumps. Both naturally leaned toward what they liked the most out of skating. And yet they came together to make a lovely blend that no one had expected to work together. Yet they did.

"Can you try a spread eagle carry lift?"

He definitely had to aim high, didn't he? It was a Victor thing.

Yuuri sent silent thanks to Minako-sensei for telling him to finish those pole dancing classes.

"We're not trying this on the ice though."

"Yay! Then we can work on the jumps."

As week three focused mostly on jumps, of course they would.

* * *

" _Why do you care so much about this competition? We all know that you're going to win because you're the World Champion and you got lucky in having a competent partner. Why go through all this extra shit if you don't actually have to?_ "

Victor sighed. "Yuratchka, you still don't understand. You should be willing to do whatever it takes to win. Endless practice, watching other routines, pin pointing where you need the most work. Until you come across a reason to try, you won't understand."

" _Understand **what**? You always go one about this shit but it never makes any sense!_ " the bond said from the other end of the line.

"It means that your line of victories will stagnate if you don't smarten up and start thinking about your future and not just the present. You won't always be the best. And if you truly plan to join the senior division next year, you cannot shirk your training simply because you think you're good enough to get by. Getting by should never be your end goal. You should aim to be the best, especially if you plan to face **me** next season."

Victor ended the call then, feeling a little frustrated with the teen. Yuri needed a reason to begin trying more, but what could possibly inspire him to see reason?

"Victor, is everything okay?"

Victor blinked and looked to Yuuri who seemed worried.

"I'm fine," Victor murmured, switching back to English. "It's a rinkmate from back home who is still a little off in his skating. Always so fierce in competition, but his presentation is lacking because he's contented himself where he's at right now. If he doesn't shape up, his senior debut will be ruined at his first competition."

"You mean Yuri Plisetsky?"

Victor's gaping was met with a wink and an adorable grin. "I told you I know a lot about you. Including where you practice, who your coach is, who you train with, and who you spend a lot of time with. Plisetsky-san seems like a stereotypical moody teen. He wants to be independent but he cares too much about what you think about him and he wants to be like you while being himself. It's a confusing time in life for him."

Yuuri was really observant.

"Yuuri, have I told you how amazing you are?"

"Yes. But you're welcome to say it as many times as you like," the brunet grinned, winking flirtatiously once again.

Victor was definitely falling in love with Katsuki Yuuri.

* * *

 **{Week 6: Finale}**

"I'm sure I don't really need to ask you how you're feeling about your performance tonight, so instead I'm going to ask both of you just what you enjoyed most about your time on the show," said Leo de la Iglesia as he held the microphone up to Victor.

Yuuri's friend Phichit was in the audience for the finale of the show which was being aired Live. Minako-sensei was sitting right next to him. And for Victor, a few of his comrades had shown up as well. Yuri Plisetsky was among the bunch, looking moody like usual.

Both skaters had been relieved to see some support from people they knew, even if they already had the competition in the bag.

Victor looked down at Yuuri, a pleased smile on his face as he answered Leo's question. "My favorite part has actually been the lifts. There is something amazing about Yuuri being able to hold me up with only one arm. As if I'm weightless."

Yuuri snorted. "I would like to say that while it looks easy, it isn't."

"And you, Mr. Katsuki? What was your favorite part of Skating With the Stars International?" Leo asked, obviously curious.

"I think it would have to be between two things. Being able to spend time with Victor and our poodles, and then the costumes. As I'm a fashion designer, I'm sure you would understand why I am impressed with the dedication and skill the designers have put into their work week after week."

Both Victor and Yuuri glanced down at their costumes for the evening. The base color was black, and the various swirls of stitched on fabric on the arms and over the torso were gold and silver respectively. They once again matched almost perfectly, with a simply deviation of color between them.

Yes, Yuuri's mind had taken a sort of detour toward his own career, just as Victor had gotten dozens of ideas for his next competitive season thanks to SWTSI.

"Well I wish you both the best of luck in your performance. And while we wait for you to get to the rink, let's take look at your journey through these past six weeks here on Skating With the Stars International!"

As the video began to play, Victor lead Yuuri down the red carpeted, spiral staircase.

"We'll do perfectly," the man promised, raising their linked hands to place a kiss on Yuuri's knuckles.

"I know. I'm just sad it'll be our last performance together."

As they removed their guards and prepared themselves to go and skate, Yuuri thought he heard Victor murmur, "Not likely."

He couldn't think about it any further because their names were called. The first couple of the evening. Holding first place since Week 1.

They were beautiful that evening. And the golden medals they were awarded meant so much.

Yuuri hung his on window when he returned to Japan.

Something to always remember Victor by.

* * *

"Oh, _Yuuri_! Someone is here to see you!"

Yuuri looked up from his sketchings to find none other than Victor Nikiforov and his trusted poodle, standing before him. And a few feet behind him, was Yuri Plisetsky, who was staring at Yuuko as if she was some foreign creature he'd never seen before. Said woman was giggling at him.

" _Victor_?!"

"Yuuri!"

The brunet was pulled into a bone crushing hug.

"What are you doing in Japan?"

"Taking a vacation. We'll be staying at Yu-Topia for the entirety of our stay. It's this lovely little inn with a hot spring that I'm looking forward to stepping into."

Yuuri's face flushed at the thought of Victor standing completely naked in his family's onsen. All perfect muscles and sexiness for everyone to see.

Victor's lips brushed against the shell of Yuuri's ear as he whispered, "I'd love to try it with _you_ , Yuuri."

"Don't do flirty shit in front of me!" came a loud and gruff voice that belonged to Yuri Plisetsky.

The blond stomped his way on over and shoved his face into Yuuri's, making Victor back off a little to avoid a collision. Whatever the other was looking for, he seemed to find it, because he clapped his hands together and bowed his head slightly over them.

"Please choreograph my Free Program for my senior debut!"

" _Wha_?" asked Yuuri, sending Victor a confused look.

"Victor is choreographing my Short Program like he promised, but I want you to choreograph my Free Skate! Please?!"

A look at Victor showed a subtle nod of encouragement. Yuuri was a bit flustered though. He'd never been asked to choreograph for another before.

"I'll pay you if you want," Plisetsky added after a moment of contemplation.

Yuuri smiled then.

"I'll do it so long as you prove to be an apt pupil and you truly try. I want Yuri Plisetsky as himself, not a mere copy of Victor Nikiforov. Is that clear?"

Judging by the shock on the other's face, he'd never expected to hear that. He'd been lauded as a 'mini-Victor' for the past three years. Always being compared to Victor.

Rarely did someone simply ask for Yuri.

The teen needed to find his own place and Yuuri would like to help him.

"I'll give you everything I've got!" the teen swore, suddenly inflamed with obvious passion for his sport.

"Then I look forward to teaching you," Yuuri nodded, shaking the other's hand in acceptance.

On the walk back to Yu-Topia, Yuuri tried to ignore how Victor's hand was grabbing his ass and how Yuri Plisetsky kept making gagging noises in response to their flirting.

His future certainly looked like it would be interesting.

* * *

 **A/N: DONE!**

 **How was it? Let me know!**

 **Check out my other Victuuri fics!**

 **See ya! :D**

 **CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello, people!**

 **I don't own Yuri! on Ice.**

 **I have no beta.**

 **ENJOY!**

 **CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**

 **-So I decided to do another chapter because as others noticed, the ending felt stunted. I got a review a while back that inspired me and so here is another chapter! Not sure about a third though.**

 **-Fluff, drama, humor, and harsh truths.**

 **-Hope y'all like it!**

* * *

"I told you that there was going to be a problem."

Victor scoffed and proceeded to stuff his face with katsudon. He didn't seem worried in the least despite the fact that several journalists had taken to analyzing their appearance on Skating With the Stars, and many had decided that Yuuri and Victor had to have cheated in some way or another.

The reason? Yuuri was far too skilled at figure skating for someone who didn't take up skating as their career choice. And then other claims that it wasn't fair for Victor to have been a part of the show because obviously whatever team he was a member of, would win. Having someone like him as a part of the process 'automatically assured the win to whomever he was partnered with'.

Yuri Plisetsky rolled his eyes. "Those morons can't handle that Victor is the best. He's been above them for years, and the one time they thought he was going to be taken down a few pegs, their hopes were dashed because he was paired with you. Fuckwads, the lot of them."

He had to stifle his snort in response. It wasn't that funny. This was a serious problem.

 **Skating With the Stars International Season 7 Fixed?**  
 **By:** Lana Galliego

 _As skating fans have been made aware, the Living Legend, Victor Nikiforov, participated in this past season_  
 _of STWSI as one of the professional skaters. As per usual in the history of the show, the pros are paired up with_  
 _a 'star' of the judge's choice. Nikiforov was paired up with Japanese fashion designer, Katsuki Yuuri._

 _Until the first elimination, no one had been aware that Katsuki had any skill in figure skating. So when the pair_  
 _were shown to have an easier time than their fellow competitors, some people weren't pleased with the results, finding_  
 _it curious and convenient that Nikiforov would be given the only 'star' who had skated before._

 _The judges have yet to comment, but the showrunner[Celestino Cialdini] swears that no one was aware of_  
 _Katsuki's hidden talent. Leo de la Iglesia, the show's host, echoed the statement, adding, "It's no one's fault that Katsuki_  
 _had former training is figure skating."_

 _So in the light of their victory at SWTSI, the fanbase is split between pride for their victory, and complete anger._  
 _The hashtags **#TeamVictuuri** and **#TeamCheaters** have been flying back and forth in the past week alone, with_  
 _fans going at each other's throats with their opinions on the situation._

 _Many of the fans who aren't a part of the feud, question the show itself, wondering why they didn't ask if any of the stars had_  
 _skated before. Others demanded to know why the winning team should be treated unfairly when there is full coverage of them_  
 _practicing for hours at the rink in order to put forth the level of routines they managed together._

 _One fan noted, "It's not easy to lift someone bigger and heavier than you above your head with only one hand. Especially when_  
 _balancing on such thin blades. The fact that people claim that that was cheating, shows just how foolish and uninformed a majority_  
 _of the skating fans are." Their name had been withheld for privacy reasons._

 _Katsuki admitted that he had never Ice Danced or Pair Skated before, so it was a bit of a new territory for him. He has however_  
 _taken all manner of dance classes including Ballet, Tap, Irish Step, Pole, Break, Flamenco, and Ballroom. However, the proof of_  
 _Katsuki's skill level and even his graduation from Juilliard were not enough to appease **#TeamCheaters**._

 _If you have anything to add to this, let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Was it truly unfair for the winning team to_  
 _have received the trophy, or should their participation be withdrawn from SWTSI history altogether?_

Many more articles of similar nature had sprung up. Victor wasn't in the least bit concerned about it, citing that he had been through the same amount of drama his entire life as a figure skater and it was nothing new. He also said that they shouldn't give the haters any attention because if they were too stupid to see the facts themselves, why should Victor or Yuuri waste valuable time trying to convince them?

'It would like talking to a brick wall', according to Yuri.

"They'll get over it eventually," said the blond as he pushed his breaded pork around his bowl. "If they don't bother getting a full background of their contestants' skills, why the fuck should you be taking the heat for their stupidity? It's not like you were asked if you had ever skated before. You are a dancer, so it's not like skating is the first thing people would associate with your damn career."

True. Crassly said, but very true.

"Also, they decided to invite the idiot to participate knowing full well that he is a World Champion and that he's the best damn skater to have even been in the Senior Division. So far. It's their own damn fault."

Victor waved away Yuuri's concern. "We have more important things to think about. Like training Yurio up for his Senior debut and choreographing his routines!"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

The shouted demand wasn't as loud as it usually was, nor said with the same acidity as when Victor first took to calling the teen such. The level of anger in his glare couldn't even be considered anger any longer. Just a mild annoyance.

The only response Victor had for him was to laugh.

Yuuri cleared his throat. "Tomorrow I'm going to take you to Minako-sensei's ballet studio and we're going to work through your stretches. I need a good idea of what you can do and what you can't. You have time until Junior Worlds, and as you're confident about your routines, you won't need to focus so heavily on those at present."

The teen straightened up and gave a firm nod of understanding.

"You said that you wanted something challenging for your Senior debut, in order to prove to the competition that you are someone to respect and watch out for all on your own. I will be holding you to your word and I will honestly train you into the ground. I hope you're prepared for it."

"I'll do anything."

* * *

"Can you do anything with animal prints?"

Yuuri looked up from his sketchpad and cocked a brow at the teen who was practically leaning over his shoulder in order to see what he was doing.

"I mean, the shit you make isn't bad or anything, but it would be better if you added animal prints too. Not everyone wants fucking floral shit and since you boast that your line caters to everyone, there should be more variety."

Yuri proceeded to reach over and point to the jacket Yuuri had gone through the trouble of sketching from three different angles.

"I would wear this if you got rid of the floral trim and made it leopard print. Think about the demographic you're aiming for. Not everyone likes flowers."

His mouth dropped open a few times, but eventually he nodded. It made sense after all. Yuuri wasn't a fan of animal prints but that didn't mean other people felt the same. And to find a jacket in a style you like, but then it comes in a color you aren't into, with a pattern that offends your eyes, then of course you'll be disappointed.

He beamed at the blond. "Thank you, Yurio!"

There was no scream telling him to shut up or to stop calling Yuri such. There was just a tiny tsk noise. Liked an irate kitten that didn't get its way.

He had to hide a smile.

* * *

"He's not trying hard enough. What if h-"

"Victor," Yuuri began sternly, "Yuri is currently my student. As you skipped out on ballet classes when you were sixteen and haven't returned to them, you do not have the experience or authority to give instruction in this area."

Victor pouted at the frown Yuuri was sending his way. He'd only wanted to help.

"Either you participate in the lesson, or you step out, please. You have done nothing but distract my pupil and this is creating an environment that isn't allowed in ballet classes, nor suitable for safe and sane practice."

Properly chastised, Victor sulked out the door, sticking his tongue out at the teen who was currently stealing his Yuuri's attention away. Yurio flipped him off in return and turned back to Yuuri to give him his undivided attention.

Okukawa Minako found Victor loitering outside the studio, a smirk on her face. "Yuu-kun kicked you out, huh?"

He nodded.

"That, he got from me. I was very strict in determining which students were worth keeping. My expectations aren't as high and Lilia-san's are, but I still prefer a clean and quiet working environment. He isn't doing it to be mean to you, but you should have realized the kind of attitude needed in such classes, as you have studied under Lilia Baranovskaya in the past."

Another nod. It wasn't as if she was wrong. Victor just wasn't used to being taken to task by people he fancied.

"Don't let it get you down. Besides, not all couples have to hang off each other at every second of the day. Don't you have a season to choreograph for yourself?"

His sulking increased tenfold, even if he knew she was right.

And the worst part was that while couples didn't have to be around each other all the time, he and Yuuri weren't even a couple yet!

That brought him back to his moping.

The most he'd gotten was a dinner date out to a ramen stand. And that couldn't even be considered a date because Yurio had tagged along and made gagging noises any time Victor so much as looked in Yuuri's direction.

"Look, you either go train, or get drunk with me."

He was so very tempted. The thought of alcohol was practically tempting him. But he had practice to do.

"I'm going to see if Ice Castle has a free slot," he mumbled, turning away from the woman.

Minako-sensei laughed. "Whatever you do, don't let the triplets see you so down and out, or you might not be able to sleep tonight."

* * *

"Victor's being a drama queen."

Yuuri sighed, having expected something dramatic to happen after telling Victor off for distracting Yurio at the barre. He just didn't think that it would be to this degree. The man was so extra at times, it was hard to handle him on a normal day.

"How do we get him out of it? It's not like he isn't used to being corrected, right?"

Yuri snorted. "Yakov yells at him all the time. He just doesn't listen. I think it's something to do with respect in a sense. That ass looks at Yakov like a father figure in a way, so he rebels constantly whenever he's being yelled at. However, his respect for you is much higher because he's got it bad for you and he admires your talents. So having your crush practically punish you, probably isn't a nice feeling."

Oh. Now he felt kind of guilty. Perhaps he'd been a bit too harsh on the man?

"Oi! Don't start feeling bad for that sorry sap! He should have known better, it's not your fault that he's an air-head."

"Bu-"

"No! Absolutely not! No pity for him. Just offer him katsudon or something. Make sure you call him Vitya when you do it and he'll forget everything that had happened."

"'Vitya'?" he said quietly, testing the word out.

"Mila and Yakov call him that. Georgi calls him Vitenka. I call him an old man. You've seen that forehead of his! He'll look like Yakov in a few years."

The laugh that erupted made him feel bad, but at the same time, Victor's forehead was quite large. It was his natural hairline and he deliberately styled it so attention wasn't drawn to it, but there was nothing he could really do to have it be ignored.

"You're so bad, Yurio."

The blond grunted.

* * *

 **Victor:** Yuuri is angry with me!

 **Chris:** What did you do?

 **Victor:** Why do you think I did something?

 **Chris:** Because he worships the ground you walk on and for him to be angry, you had to have done some effed up shit.

 **Victor:** *pouts*

 **Victor:** I might have interrupted him while he was making Yurackha practice at the barre.

 **Chris:** So let me get this straight.

 **Chris:** You bothered two ballet dancers while they were in their element.

 **Victor:** Yeah.

 **Chris:** And you're curious as to why he's pissed at you?

 **Victor:** I wasn't trying to be rude!

 **Chris:** Yeah, but did you apologize anyway to clear the air?

 **Victor:** No.

 **Chris:** You just went and sulked in a corner, didn't you?

 **Victor:** Maybe.

 **Chris:** wtf am I to do w/you?

 **Victor:** Be nice to me and tell me how to get back into his good graces!

 **Chris:** Okay, so this might not have crossed your mind but…

 **Chris:** A-P-O-L-O-G-I-Z-E!

 **Victor:** :(

 **Chris:** Either do it or he stays pissed at you.

 **Chris:** What more do you want?

 **Victor:** It's not fair!

 **Chris:** So damn fair.

 **Chris:** You effed this up, now make it right.

"Vitya?"

His heart sputtered to a halt and he looked up, mouth agape as he saw Yuuri standing in the doorway of his room, looking at him with worried eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"What did you call me?"

A flush lit up Yuuri's face and he bit his lip in a manner that almost seemed seductive. "Vitya," he admitted. "I wanted to know if you're okay after what happened earlier?"

He nodded silently, reeling from the fact that Yuuri had come to check up on him despite his annoying behavior earlier on. He hadn't exactly been respectful and Yuuri had been within his rights to tell him off. Victor was a frustrating person at times. He knew it very well after training under Yakov for so many years.

"I'm just… sorry for making you upset with my rudeness."

Yuuri smiled. "It's fine."

"No it isn't. According to everyone, it was a shit thing to do."

There was a second of indecision, before Yuuri was nodding. "Yeah."

Victor deflated.

"But do you feel bad for it?"

"Yes!"

"And do you plan to do it again?"

"No!"

"Then it seems you've learned your lesson. So now everything is okay."

He held his arms out expectantly, wanting a hug from his Yuuri in order to feel better. To completely cement the truth that things were okay between them. He liked physical contact.

Yuuri shuffled on over and leaned down to wrap his arms around Victor's shoulders. "You can stop pouting now," the man said. "Couples have little tiffs all the time, and this is just a small bump on the road to a stronger relationship."

'Couples'. Yuuri had referred to them as a couple.

Victor's smile could not be drowned out by anything. He returned to his chat with Chris, to find that the other man had gone on a rant in his absence.

 **Chris:** And I don't want excuses.

 **Chris:** Hello?

 **Chris:** Victor?

 **Chris:** Are you ignoring me because I told you you were wrong?

 **Chris:** Boy, this is the height of pathetic.

 **Chris:** I got info on your ass.

 **Chris:** Don't make me crack out the journal.

 **Victor:** Yuuri forgives me!

 **Chris:** I know shit!

 **Chris:** Huh?

 **Victor:** Yuuri came to see me!

 **Victor:** He called me 'Vitya'!

 **Victor:** And I apologized and he forgave me!

 **Victor:** I got a hug!

 **Victor:** He called us a couple!

 **Chris:** *whistles*

 **Chris:** I suppose he's faster at this than you are.

 **Victor:** I'm so happy! :D :D :D

 **Chris:** Back to your old emoji loving self, I see.

 **Victor:** Yep!

 **Chris:** You've got it bad.

 **Victor:** Maaaaaybeeeeee!

 **Chris:** Hm.

 **Victor:** What do you mean you've got info on me?

 **Victor:** Chris?

 **Victor:** CHRIS!

* * *

{I don't get why every1 is so PO'd over it. They skated and won. Big whoop!}  
|

{The problem is that both of them are super talented and it wasn't fair putting them together! **#TeamCheaters** }  
||

{But shouldn't the directors and shit make sure that they paired people up according to strengths and weakness?}  
|||

{Yeah? **#sowhat** }  
|||

{So how come no one knew Katsuki could skate?}  
||||

{Maybe he didn't tell them?}  
|||||

{No, they don't ask about that. They don't on DWTS. Remember Nicole Scherzinger got attacked for having dancing experience?}  
||||||

{Yeah, everyone claimed she was cheating!}  
|||||||

{So Katsuki couldn't have cheated, especially since figure skating and ice dancing take different training methods.}  
||||||||

{So essentially, he had to learn the lifts and dancing aspect from Victor in order to perform.}  
|||||||||

{Ergo, not cheating! Eff all y'all on **#TeamCheaters** }

{I think they deserved to win! **#TeamVictuuri** }  
|

{But Nikiforov is a champion already so having him was unfair with his skill level.}  
||

{Then they shouldn't have extended him an invitation!}

{ **#SWTSI** I happen to think the director and showrunner are at fault.}  
|

{ **#Truth** They should have more order. There's always some shit going on every season of SWTSI.}  
||

{Yep! Not Victor's or Yuuri's faults!}

{JJ Leroy was the first one to claim they cheated? Really bro?}  
|

{Who tf is JJ Leroy?}  
||

{A fellow figure skater of Victor's who never reaches above bronze in int comp. The back of his head was shaved.}  
|||

{Oh. He couldn't lift for shit!}  
||||

{Hey, JJ did hit best! But truthfully he was overdramatic most of the time!}  
|||||

{Basically, all the people claiming they cheated, are JJ fans.}  
||||||

{Also true.}  
|||||||

{I'm a JJ fan and I wasn't angry that they won. They had more skill on their side. That's all.}  
||||||||

{Bless you for being that one bright light in the darkness.}

{ **#SWTSI** has to have drama every season? Who was it that 'cheated' last year?}  
|

{Marina Baranowski and Andre Lerone.}  
||

{Fuck that. This shit isn't what I wanted when I decided to watch the show.}  
|||

{Kind of ruining any further seasons.}  
||||

{People only watched this season to either see Victor or JJ. Without them, and now with all this bad press, shit will hit the fan.}  
|||||

{u said it **#TeamVictuuri** }

* * *

"Your leg is going to be higher than that by the time I've finished with you."

The look on Yurio's face was priceless. "How high does my damn leg have to be?"

"A spiral requires your free leg to be higher than your hips. Skaters with less skill and flexibility, end up leaning as far forward or back as possible in order to achieve this, but managing it while your posture is perfect, will give you more points. And using that as an entrance into your Triple Axel will also give your more points."

There was a groan, but the blond took off again, working on incorporating the fan spiral into his routine the way Yuuri wanted him to. He had the skill, he just had to train it over and over until it felt like second nature to him.

Also, the more effortless it seemed, the better the PCS.

"When you told him that you weren't going to go easy on him, you weren't lying," Victor remarked as he leaned against the barrier.

"Of course not. That would be an insult to both him and myself. He can do it, and he knows he can do it. And if I go easy on him, he won't reach the potential I know he has."

"Still, three Quads for a fifteen year old is a lot. And one is in a combination."

Yuuri shrugged. "I made sure he could actually land the jumps before giving the okay. He can and he's been waiting to. Your coach was the one to set the restriction of him having to be a Senior in order to jump them. He should have known that Yurio wouldn't wait a few more years."

Victor sighed. "I wasn't that determined when I was his age. I didn't become a Senior until I was seventeen and I only did one Quad because I still have a belief that so long as you skate your best, you don't need to max out the Quads."

"Says the guy who has won five consecutive Grand Prix Finals and four consecutive World Championships. You saying something like that is in no way helpful to anyone. Especially since half of your jumps are Quads and have been since before you started winning gold."

Victor had the decency to blush.

"As for Yurio, he needs to learn his limits. Maybe he'll realize that he doesn't need so many Quads. And maybe he'll try to learn more. I'm merely the choreographer and am simply coaching him on the choreography while slightly aiding in everything else. His coach will end up making the final call. And even then I'm not sure he'd listen."

"No," Victor agreed. "He's a lot like me in that regard. I ignore Yakov too."

Yuuri bumped him with his elbow. "Bad example!" he sang, smirk in place.

Victor's hand covered his heart and he scoffed. "I have never been more insulted, Yuuri."

"Oi! Stop doing the gross shit when I can see it!"

Both sighed. Not yet it seemed. Maybe later.

* * *

" _You took my skater!_ "

Victor shifted the mobile away from his ear and winced at how loud Yakov's voice had gotten. Enough to make the speaker crackle and distort. Yakov looked pissed though.

" _I didn't **take** him. He came **with** me. Paid for his own ticket and insisted that he was allowed to come._ "

" _And you didn't think to question that?!_ "

Victor shrugged halfheartedly. " _Yurachka said that he wanted to ask Yuuri to choreograph his Free Program and said that you had begrudgingly agreed to it once you read up on Yuuri's skills. I figured him being trained by someone on par with Lilia would have made you reluctantly agree._ "

Yakov's head fell into his free hand. " _I seriously fear for any children you may have in the future,_ " the man grumbled in displeasure.

" _Oh Yakov, Yuuri and I don't need children! We have Yura!_ "

His smile didn't even wither when the man sent him a glare through the screen. " _I want status reports on his training. I want to see how far he has come and what he is learning. And when he comes back for Junior Worlds, I am going to put him through hell. Make sure he knows that._ "

" _Will do!_ " Victor cheered. " _Oh! And I choreographed my routines for next season as well, so I'll send you the videos soon._ "

" _Fine._ "

When his mobile was put away, he fixed his attention back on the rink, through the double doors. Yuuri was out on the ice, manipulating Yurio's leg into the position he expected of the teen. Yurio didn't seem annoyed over being touched so familiarly by someone he still didn't know all too well.

Of course the teen lied about Yakov giving him permission. Victor should have expected it. But he also remembered wanting to go and do fun things when he was fifteen, so he couldn't hold it against the other skater.

Still, that didn't mean he couldn't be a tease!

Victor shoved the two doors open. "Yurio, Yakov wants progress reports!"

"Damn it!"

* * *

"I'm really touched at how brotherly you are to Yurio."

"The Russian Family cannot be broken! Mila is the older sister who likes dating too much. Georgi is the second cousin who likes tragedies and is always experiencing troubles in love. Yakov is the grumpy grandfather figure. Lilia is the strict grandmother who secretly loves everyone but won't admit it. I'm the cool uncle who caters to everyone when I shouldn't. It's an intricate web of connections."

Yuuri smiled and pecked Victor's cheek. "I think your little 'connections' are adorable."

"We just need to find your place."

Yuuri frowned. "'My place'?"

Victor's smile was all soft and sweet. "Yeah! In our family! Yurio likes you and everyone else obviously will too. So what will your role be!"

Yuuri thought about it for a second, before he smiled the same smile as Victor's. "I suppose I'm also an uncle, as we're together and all."

A gasp and a laugh. "Yes!"

"Why are you two being so damn loud this late at night?!" Yurio demanded from the other room, his fist rapping on the door repeatedly in his ire.

"Yurio! Yuuri is now your uncle, okay?"

"Go to bed!" the teen hollered back.

"He didn't refuse," Victor pointed out.

No, Yuuri reflected warmly. He didn't.

* * *

 **A** **/N: Another is done!**

 **-I might do a third chapter.**

 **How was it? Let me know!**

 **Check out my other fics!**

 **Ja ne! :D**

 **CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**


End file.
